1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus for severing continuous lengths of hollow fibers and more particularly relates to apparatus for the precision cutting of continuous lengths of chemical filled hollow fibers into pre-determined, equal lengths for use as chemical vapor dispensers.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Hollow fibers have been employed as vapor dispensers for the controlled release of certain chemical compounds. When the hollow fibers are filled with certain chemicals, they will provide for a sustained, controlled release of the chemical into the environment through their open ends. For example, the vapor dispensers have been very effective when used with synthetic sex attractants (pheromones) to control the cotton ravaging pink bollworm indigenous to the desert southwest. When evenly dispersed in the fields, the tiny hollow fibers release a few micrograms per day of the pheromone into the air. The compound is so potent that male moths become confused and are incapable of locating the females for mating, except for a few chance encounters. Without fertilization, the female moth lays infertile eggs and dies, leaving no offspring. The result of this biological "confusion technique" is a dramatic reduction in the number of cotton bolls infester with larvae.
The continuous lengths of the hollow fibers are filled with the pheromone and sealed at the ends and at regular intervals along their length. The continuous lengths are then cut either adjacent to the zones of the sealed portions along the regular intervals of the hollow fibers or in the center between seal to produce short, pheromone filled pieces open at one or both ends thereof. The cut provides an open end and allows the pheromone to escape slowly and evaporate into the air. The length of the fiber determines the duration of the application. One will appreciate that it is desirable to cut predetermined lengths of pheromone filled hollow fibers from the continuous lengths, with a high degree of accuracy and uniformity.
The apparatus of the present invention provides a means of cutting chemical filled hollow fibers with a high degree of precision to obtain uniform cuttings of the filled hollow fibers which may be used as vapor dispensers of the chemical contained by the hollow fibers.